By: Diane Benjamin
The Illinois Policy Institute recently posted a story that contains a link to easily look up school superintent’s salaries: https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-superintendent-pay-doesnt-match-performance-district-consolidation-could-help/
I don’t necessarily agree with consolidation because larger organizations usually become less efficient. When they aren’t spending their own money there is no incentive to be fiscally responsible.
Anyway:
These salaries mostly qualify for being in the top 10% of earners in the country:
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Look up others at the link above.
Weikle and Mouser are top 5%…
Also, it doesn’t appear the graph includes healthcare benefits (so add another $20-30k), nor retirement benefits (perhaps this is what the 3rd “annuities” column means), but it’s impossible to believe most of these superintendents won’t receive lavish retirement benefits. Former D87 superintendent Barry Reilly receives over $17,000 a MONTH in retirement pension, most of the costs of which were not properly paid for by the taxpayers while he was working (aka underfunded public pensions).
So in reality, the annual cost for most of these superintendents and their benefits are well north of $300k.
Thank you for addressing and staying informed on this important issue. Pay to play and nepotism.is heavy in systems contacts and projects of all types in McLean County and Central Illinois. Unit 5 and area districts are no different – those most vulnerable and Citizens/students who are gouged with taxes/fee and charged to extremes that will never get big tax funded benefits and retirement checks for life are the real victims here.
Keep up the good work.
What is really amazing is how the left screams about how the current administration in Washington is giving huge tax breaks to the wealthy but here you have school superintendents making a huge amount of money paid for by the taxpayers with little or no accountability.
And your children and teachers are obviously being confronted daily by out of control other children with little or no consequences.
And by not voting you just continue to support the status quo!
So sad!!!!
I was just looking at the IL report card website the other day for the Heyworth school district and I could not believe the low score on 8th graders passing basic Algebra. This school district is paying $212,885 for that Superintendent. Are you kidding me!
The fault lies with the school board as well as the voters to allow this to continue. Then again most voters aren’t even aware of how badly they are being swindled into paying high property taxes. As I mentioned the other day I could not believe that they astro turfed a football field. I cannot even imagine what that cost.
I was also shocked about the Astro turf on the football field. These are high school kids! What a waste of money when kids can’t do basic math. Superintendent Taylor mentioned if the 1% sales tax was passed it would lower our taxes. Fat chance of that happening. That kind of salary for a small school district is ridiculous. Does anyone understand that our assessments went way up so they are going to get more money even without passing tax increases.